Welcome to the FirstHomeGuide.ca Blog.
Start here: what FirstHomeGuide.ca covers, how to use the 8-module guide, FHSA and Home Buyers' Plan down-payment paths, and the free tools — plus how this blog fits.
FirstHomeGuide.ca is a free, education-first path for Canadians buying their first home. The long-form resource is the 8-module guide. This blog is the shorter companion: rule changes, common questions, and the pieces that do not fit neatly into a lesson.
If you are new here, do not start by scrolling posts. Start at Welcome to FirstHomeGuide.ca and work forward — or skip to the module that matches the question you actually have.
What the guide covers
The guide is built as eight modules that follow a real purchase, not a marketing funnel:
- Are you ready? — First-time-buyer status, rent vs buy, credit, the stress test, and whether co-buying is on the table.
- Saving smart — FHSA, the RRSP Home Buyers’ Plan, combining both, TFSA, and the mistakes that stall a down payment.
- Down payments and mortgages — Canada’s 5% / 10% / 20% tiers, CMHC insurance, fixed vs variable, pre-approval, and GDS/TDS.
- Government programs — Federal incentives plus provincial land-transfer rebates and grants.
- Finding a home — Your team, MLS listings, condo vs freehold, showings, and new construction.
- Making an offer — The purchase agreement, conditions, bidding, inspections, and deposits.
- Closing — Closing costs, land transfer tax, the lawyer, title insurance, and closing day.
- Life after closing — Emergency funds, property tax, insurance, renewal, maintenance, and congratulations.
Want the same journey on one page? Use the complete first-time buyer guide. Keep the glossary open when a term is new.
FHSA, HBP, and down-payment paths
Most first-time buyers are not short a “hack.” They are short a sequence.
Open and fund an FHSA first when you still have time to save. Contributions are tax-deductible, unused room carries forward, and a qualifying withdrawal for your first home is tax-free — with no 15-year repayment. The 2026 limits stay $8,000 per year and $40,000 lifetime. Read the FHSA guide and the lesson at Saving smart — FHSA.
Use the RRSP Home Buyers’ Plan when you already have RRSP savings you need for the down payment. Eligible buyers can withdraw up to $60,000 per person, and it must be repaid over 15 years. Details: Home Buyers’ Plan 2026 and RRSP HBP.
Stack both on the same purchase when you qualify for each program on its own rules — up to $40,000 from FHSA plus $60,000 from HBP per person. That is the combined strategy and the FHSA vs HBP comparison, not a third product.
Map those dollars onto Canada’s down-payment tiers. Minimums are 5% on the first $500,000, 10% on the portion up to $1.5 million, and 20% at $1.5 million and above. Less than 20% down on an insurable purchase means mortgage default insurance. Work the numbers in Down payment strategies and Module 3.
Co-buying does not create extra FHSA or HBP room. Each qualifying buyer uses their own accounts. Start at Co-buying a home in Canada before you mix title, the mortgage, and registered withdrawals. What to put in the agreement is the co-ownership agreement checklist.
Tools when you need numbers
The guide explains the rules. The tools run a scenario without a signup:
- Mortgage calculator — payment, CMHC, and stress-test context
- Affordability calculator — how much house GDS/TDS will actually support
- Closing cost calculator and land transfer tax calculator
- CMHC insurance calculator and stress-test calculator
- FHSA vs RRSP comparison, timeline planner, cost of waiting, and readiness assessment
Sample coupons live on rates. They are lender-sheet samples, not a lock. For a written quote, book a free strategy call.
What this blog is for
The modules stay evergreen. This blog is where we publish the shorter, dated pieces: contribution deadlines, co-buying paperwork, and the questions that come up on calls often enough to write down.
Use the blog index when you already know the topic. Use the guide when you need the full sequence. If something looks wrong, or you want a topic covered, contact us.